Casinos have long sought new ways to induce play on the gaming devices. They try to increase player time on gaming devices, average wager amount, and speed of play. Various techniques have been used in attempts to gain higher casino profits. One such technique in the casino gaming industry is the addition of bonus opportunities. This usually takes the form of an additional bonus game in conjunction with a base game of a gaming device.
As another avenue to encourage play, casinos adopted a new technology in the form of player tracking systems. In a player tracking systems a player registers for a player-tracking card at a registration desk. The player is typically given a plastic magnetic strip player card for use while playing gaming devices on the casino floor or at the card tables. Each player card has an ID on it that associates it with a player record in a player tracking database. Players are awarded loyalty points, credits or other representations of value. Such awards can then be redeemed at a later time.
More recent additions to the casino player loyalty systems provide bonus prizes or prize pools that are periodically given to players on a random basis (e.g. mystery bonusing, mystery jackpot). This gives the player a more instantaneous and larger reward versus the slow accrual of loyalty points. This is done for several reasons: to help induce play on the gaming device, to encourage players to become carded players; to create player loyalty for the casino, and to provide bonus prizes without modifying the base gaming device software.
However, these methods of awarding bonuses have several limitations. They may require that a player become a member of a club when they wish to remain anonymous. Also, these methods require that a casino patron be engaged in wagering activities.
Group games involving many players are known to be implemented in a predefined area, where a number of gaming machines on the casino floor are roped off for the special event. Only machines within the enclosed area are eligible for participating in a group game or a bonusing award. One popular game type set up in this manner is the slot tournament game. From the casino operator's perspective, such a rigid physical configuration is time-consuming to set up, tying up valuable assets, and lack the flexibility to be reconfigured quickly. From the player's perspective, such an approach also requires them to move around to find the sweet spot—the location where the special machines and awards are set up. Not only this is inconvenient for some players, it interrupts their wagering activities.
With the advent of mobile technology, additional opportunities for accommodating casino patrons have arisen. Handheld gaming devices allow players to participate in wagering activities in traditional, as well as non-traditional gaming areas, such as a hotel room, a restaurant, or next to a pool. Certain restrictions apply to handheld gaming devices, in which the device's location determines the eligibility of the device to conduct wagering activities or particular game-related features.
There is a continuing need to provide new and different gaming devices and gaming systems as well as new and flexible ways to provide awards to players on mobile and traditional gaming devices, including bonus awards and special game features that enhance their playing experiences.